The "bromance" between Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Democratic Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will continue to bloom in Baker's second term, but this time, it may blossom alongside the flowering cherry trees of the nation's capital.
Walsh said he and Baker plan to bring their message of bipartisan cooperation to Washington, D.C. in what Walsh described as a "road trip" to urge Congress and the White House to play nice and compromise once in awhile.
Walsh announced the "road trip" at his annual State of the City address at Symphony Hall Tuesday evening.
"A government that’s supposed to be 'of the people, by the people, for the people' is shut down," Walsh said during his address. "The state of our city is strong, but I’m concerned about the state of our union."
No trip has been scheduled, but Walsh made it a point in his speech.
"We have a Republican-led Senate and a Democratic House. So we’ll go to Washington with a united front and call for the investments in housing, transit, and the environment that our future depends on," Walsh said. "Instead of building a wall, let's show them how to build bridges."
"We'll figure it out," Baker told WGBH News shortly after Walsh's speech when asked if the trip was real.
The governor's office said later that "the governor looks forward to continuing their productive partnership to benefit the people of Boston and the Commonwealth," and that they are open to working with Walsh to schedule a trip.
The duo have often worked together at the State House to get things done in Massachusetts and hope to bring a united front to President Donald Trump and the divided Congress.
"Maybe they can learn a little bit from us, from what we're doing here," Walsh told reporters after the speech.
Walsh pulled no punches when describing how federal policies, or the lack of them in a shut-down government, are affecting Boston.
"To our national leaders, I say: If you want to learn how to bring people together, not push them apart, look to Boston. If you want to grow good jobs and rebuild the middle class, look to Boston. If you want to see how social justice strengthens all of us, look to Boston," Walsh said at the close of his speech, calling Boston "the leader of cities" for its record of progressive accomplishments.
Walsh said he and Baker pan to advocate for more investment in housing, transit and environmental protections. Neither City Hall or the corner office have announced details of the trip.
